I think some people are missing the entire point of my dissent. Refer back to the post wherein the scenario of the "traveling combine repairman" was described. This person has a legal right to travel across the country to where ever he is wanted (somebody requested that he "come repair my combine please"). Of course the local John Deere dealer might be a bit ticked off that the person who owns the combine didn't call HIS service department requesting that THEY come out and do the service. But it is not against the law to call whoever you want to work on your machine. And so this traveling combine repair man inspects the machine and makes a list of parts he needs and contacts the John Deere dealer in his hometown 400 mile away and arranges for the parts to be shipped directly to the farm address where that machine is domiciled. So what! This scenario is just an example of exercising the freedom to choose who you want to do repairs to your machine and the freedom to buy from who you want. If John Deere corporate was trying to encourage a customer to patronize a dealer other than the dealer nearest to his home, then the local dealer could say "NOT FAIR", "YOU ARE HURTING MY BUSINESS BY SENDING IT TO THAT OTHER DEALER." But when the CONSUMER chooses to trade with a dealer other than the nearest local dealer (in this case "consumer" would be both the owner of the combine and the traveling combine repair man) it should not bother John Deere corporate at all, because THEY did not initiate or instigate the action. Any attempts or gestures aimed at controlling who you can do business with looks and smells kind of like organized crime lords fighting over turf. As far as placing restrictions on how dealers can solicit business from the consuming public, I would be OK with corporate level telling the local dealerships not to send any of their sales or service reps to try and lure a particular customer to stop trading with a certain dealer and come do business with them instead (because here the restrictions are placed on personnel employed by the respective dealerships). When corporate tells a dealership they can't trade with a customer who voluntarily shows up at their establishment requesting parts and/or service......that is wrong. The customer should have the right to choose where he spends his money and the dealership should not be bound from engaging in trade with customers who come to them, no matter where they are from. Are we to believe that monopolies and racketeering should be condoned if they are disguised as something benign?? I am done now.

I have just written an article on Bryophytes for my website and am looking for some feedback if possible. I am by no means a Bryophyte expert so I'm keen mostly to double check that my information is correct and also if there is anything important that I should add. No worries if you don't have time to check it out, but for anyone who does, I appreciate any comments! Here is a link that might be useful: Bryophytes : Basic Biology

Rosewitch, England was definitely one of my favorite places I have ever visited. My folks took me there when I was 14, and I remember bits and pieces the Crown jewels, walking amongst the Stonehenge stones (roped off now, vandalism), Stratford upon Avon. Time for me to take my own 14YO. Im trying to think how I can get over there for a whole summer, LOL. Dlynn, I could have worked so much more. I didnt really look at night time stuff and there was loads to do. Greece: cant help you, but shoot Yasou a line, she went a few years ago. LOL Annie! Teresa, well go together. I wanted to explore more cooking and food shops/stores but didnt get to. Terri, here is more a link to Pictures of England, a website pointed out to me by Denise. I started it on Bourton on the Water, where we stayed for a few days. Thanks Sharon, I was actually thinking how can I even come close to posting her quality of travel guides, I dont do the pictures she does LOL. We might have sat at the same table in the Cheshire Cheeses dining room! Sawdust still there, but we didnt make it to the cellar. I missed a lot of the British Museum. It has changed.check out the new atrium. I couldnt keep up with DH and DS16. Afternoons, when I planned museums, I crashed. Next time! Pam, lots of people did more than we did per day! Theater every night, more attractions, I cant imagine. Gina heh heh yeah I need another vacation like a hole in my head. Speaking of whichDH has another week off in August. Nooooooooo! Kathleen, DH says he took an average of 200 pictures a day. Yup. Me, I just buy the post cards or Google the images, same thing (DARFC from the photo bugs here) Cathy, thanks for giving me the War and Peace moniker heh heh. Next time I go with CF friends! LindaC, I know. Im still exhausted. Speaking of the V&A, did you know there was a Dale Chihuly chandelier in the entrance room?

Micke, generally speaking those should only be the puppy mills. The reason I say that is because the responsible breeders won't be required to license themselves with the USDA. If a breeder has over 3 breeding females, they are required to register...if they don't, they are operating illegally. Since a part of responsible breeding is the absence of a "numbers" game (breeding females or litters produced), they shouldn't be on the lists. Hunt corporation and Petland are suspect of purchasing from illegal operations...if the breeder can not be found on those lists and was purchased from via those companies, they should be reported. Even if the breeder is on the list and is inspected by the USDA...the visits are generally announced (unlike restaurants), so what is the point?? If they are not on the lists, they are never inspected. You can read much more about Petland puppies, etc...at this website...I used it for some of the information in a speech I gave about puppy mills/pet stores/pet overpopulation.